Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Americans Break Down The Weirdest Things About Europe

Americans Break Down The Weirdest Things About Europe
Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

There's little more exciting than an American's first visit to Europe.

There is so much to take in between the famous sights, the delicious food, and the vastly different cultures and ways of life.

Most American tourists have no problem jumping into some popular customs and activities, such as afternoon tea in England, or a soothing sauna in Finland.

Other customs and behaviors, however, some Americans usually choose to leave to the locals.


Redditor Mark-Zuckerberg- was curious to hear which European habits or ways of life were truly bizarre to Americans, leading them to ask:

"Americans, what do you think is the weirdest thing about Europe?"

Where's the kitchen?

"Rental apartments in Germany often come without a furnished kitchen."

"Sink, refrigerator, stove and cabinets."

"Because these are almost always provided in rental apartments in the US, it was shocking to me as an American looking at rentals in Germany that I would have to buy and install those things."

"Having read so many interesting comments about kitchen expectations in different parts of the world, let me ask this question."

"Do any of you know of places where rentals don't come with bathroom equipment either, and it's expected the tenant will purchase and install their own toilet and sink?"- AmbitiousPeanut

Differing levels of intimacy

"Depends which countries."

"I’ve always found it weird that a lot of them think hugging is more intimate than kissing someone on the cheek."

"I know it isn’t actually 'kissing' someone on the cheek most of the time."

"I’m referring to how someone touches your face with their face that is extremely intimate."- LadyValenciaLA

Road Rage!

"The way people drive."

"The laws don’t seem to matter at all in Italy, only a little in France."

"Then the Germans are a completely different story."- jesusmansuperpowers

Toilet Troubles

"OMG the toilets."

"In the US every toilet I've ever come across has a flush lever on the left of the tank or, in public restrooms, a sensor or a button on the top."

"In Europe every single toilet has a different flush mechanism."

"Every. Single. One."

"It's like an escape room challenge."

"Foot pedals. Cranks. Pull knobs."

"Things attached to the sink."

"I was once stuck in a bathroom for 20 minutes trying to figure out how to flush the toilet, it turned out to be a pulley on the other side of the room."- Yellowbug2001

Not for Night Owls

"The oddest thing I found in Copenhagen was that when we tried to go get food around 9pm, nearly everywhere was closed."

"We were in a busy part of the city but it took us so incredibly long to find a place open late."

"I don't live in a huge city but I can throw a rock from my house and it will bounce off half a dozen places open until midnight or later."

"This is not a complaint, just an observation."

"I loved Denmark."- Ginger_Chick

Just how old are we talking?

"The history."

"Can't wrap my brain around that."

"I live in a farm house built in the 1920s and that is considered old."- Necessary_Sir_5079

You understand?

"The sheer grasp of language I've seen from some Europeans is wild."

"Back in the early days of minecraft I used to play on a server with an English kid and a German Kid."

"The English kid would randomly speak Welsh and the German could jump between German, French, and English all the time and I was there like 'Guys, I can barely English, can we dumb it down for the yankee'."- CYNIC_Torgon

"We've been working on the railroad..."

"Trains go to every major city."- CoolIceCreamCone

Balmy summer nights

"No AC."

"Our hotels had ac but it was just room temp air."

"That heatwave must have been brutal I hate sleeping when it’s hot."- Slowmexicano

Some things that might seem strange at first might just take some getting used to.

Though power to any American brave enough to drive through Europe.

Particularly on the wrong side of the road in the U.K.!

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Travis Kelce; Taylor Swift
Michael Owens/Getty Images; NBC

Travis Kelce Reacts To Memes Of Taylor's Viral 'That's My Husband' Video—And They're Hilariously Accurate

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have been a favorite celebrity couple since dating rumors first began swirling, and the cute reactions keep coming since they got married in July at Madison Square Garden.

And now Swift is a meme, once again, after adorably shouting out her husband at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts game on September 20.

Keep ReadingShow less
George Michael during George Michael In Concert At The Arena - Amsterdam.
Greetsia Tent/WireImage

Planned VMAs Tribute To George Michael Called Out For Not Featuring Any LGBTQ+ Artists

It's been nearly 10 years since the world lost George Michael, but his music and influence have never really left us. Now, as the MTV VMAs prepare to honor the late music icon, fans already have plenty to say about the upcoming tribute.

From his early days with Wham! to his record-breaking solo career, Michael became one of the most influential pop stars of his generation, selling more than 100 million records worldwide. His success also earned him four MTV Video Music Awards, including the prestigious Video Vanguard Award in 1989.

Keep ReadingShow less
Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger
ABC

Capt. 'Sully' Sullenberger Opens Up About Alzheimer's Diagnosis In Poignant New Interview

Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger became an American hero on January 15, 2009. The "Miracle on the Hudson" pilot saved 155 passengers and crew aboard Flight 1549 when a bird strike disabled both engines after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport. He and first officer Jeff Skiles landed the plane on the Hudson River.

Throughout his life, Sullenberger has challenged himself to serve others. Now, in what he's calling his "last flight" as he deals with the symptoms of Alzheimer's, he's once again thinking about how to put what he's going through to good use.

Keep ReadingShow less
DJ Fievel Crane
@fievel42/Instagram

Trans Radio DJ Quits Live On Air After 'Most Traumatic Work Experience I’ve Ever Had' In Viral Video—And We're Applauding

Earlier this month, radio DJ Fievel Crane, former host of Morning Mixtape on 106.1 FM The Corner in Charlottesville, Virginia, announced their immediate resignation live on air.

They later shared a video of the moment on their Instagram, captioned:

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of JD Vance
Newsmax

Vance's Latest Advice To 'Frustrated' Midterm Voters Is A Glorious Self-Own For The Ages

Vice President JD Vance's suggestion that "frustrated" midterm voters not give power to the "crazy people who started these problems" was widely mocked for giving Democrats a gold mine of material to criticize the Trump administration's failures with mere weeks to go before the midterm elections.

A Politico poll published Thursday found that Americans were more likely to hold President Donald Trump responsible for the country’s economic conditions than his predecessor Joe Biden.

Keep ReadingShow less